Water-laid felt and article made therefrom



No Drawing.

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES TEN OFFICE HENRY PHILIP snornncx, or noncnnsrnn, MASSACHUSETTS, AssrGnoR; iaY irnsnn nssrenmnnrs, T0 ARDEN BOX TOE COMPANY, or WATERTOWN,MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS WATER-LAID FELT AND ARTICLE MADE THEREFROM The problem of producing a water-laid felt, suitable for use as box toe stock for example, is complicated by the characteristics of the different fibres which may be employed in the mix. 7 Usually the felt is a Wool felt containing some cotton, and the usual process of making such a felt consists in beating out the fibres in a beater in the presence of water and running them on a cylinder felting machine after which the stock is sheeted out and impregnated with a thermoplastic binder, usually of resinous, asphaltic or bitummous OIlglIl.

It has been proposed to make a water-laid felt of beaten textile rags and to substitute fibred tannery hair for the expensive wool fibres. It has been also proposed to use in such a felt relatively long mineral or vegetable fibres in place of the tannery hair.

The several different kinds of fibres which are capable of being used in a beaten waterlaid felt, however, have characteristically different felting actions, and the strength and stretch of the ultimate felt therefore depends upon the particular fibre which is used. For example, if all long fibred wool stock is used, the stock is too flufiy and will not felt on a cylinder felting machine. Nor will it felt properly if all short fibred wool stock is used. If long cotton fibres are substituted for the long wool fibres in the felt made on the cylinder machine, the material cannot be kept open and porous enough to hold .asufiicient amount of thermoplastic binder properly to impregnate the sheet. On the other hand, if

all short fibred cotton is used, the felt made on the cylinder machine will be too dense .and will not stretch, nor can a mixture of all long Wool and of long cotton fibres be felted on a cylinder felting machine because it is too free to felt properly. If a mixture of all short cotton and all long Wool fibres in which the cotton predominates be used, the sheet is too dense. The same is true of a mixture of all short cotton and all short wool fibres in which the cotton predominates.

To the end, therefore, of providing a water-laid beaten felt which will avoid the disadvantages of existing felts, I have devised my present invention. According to Application filed January 13, 1927. Serial No. 161,025."

it, I employ a mixture oftextile ragscontainring a good percentage of relatively long fibres,which may be of animal, vegetable or' mineral origin. 'Thismixture isbeaten out 1n accordance with usual practice in a heater in the'presence of Water, andto'it isadded the. shredded corium portions of certain animalskins, as for example, rabbit,'deer, beaver or similar animals. i

The action of 1 the beater ,causes the shredded corium, which is untanned, toyield an agglutinous substance which is probably.

the subcutaneous fat from the elasticrfibr'es or dense connective tissue of the corium;

This agglutinant is in theform of a fluid gum, glue or gelatinous substancewhich adheres as longelastic tackyshreds tothe long wool and cotton fibres of'the "fibrousbase, and assists these fibresin their felting action by holding them together in interlaced or matted condition, so that they will absorb sufficient Water to felt satisfactorily onthe cylinder felting machine and yet Will be open and porous enough to hold the thermoplastic binder, and at the same time will have sufficient capacity for stretch to enable the box toe blanks cut from the felt to be molded to proper shape when the shoe is lasted.

Broadly, therefore, my invention involves the'concept of adding to the fibrous massithe corium portions of theiskinsor pelts of certain animals which ontreatment havethe.

property of tending to cause the long, fibres of the fibrous base to "hold more water so that they can properly mat orfelt on a cylinder felting machine. More specifically, my invention involves the perception that the residual fluid gummy, gelatinous, or gluti-' nous substance yielded by the corium; under the particular specifications of different box toe manufacturers. and hence may widely differ in different cases, the following mix is given for purposes of illustration and as representing a mix which will give a commercially satisfactory felt: To approximately textile rags, that is mixtures of cotton and woolenrags so beaten out as to contain a good percentage of long fibres, I add approximately 25% shredded corium.

To this may be added, if desired a small percentage, approximately 1% of caustic soda, soda ash or similar material which will assist in bringing out the tackiness of the shredded corium.

In practicing my invention, the usual process is followed, that is to say, the fibrous base is beaten out in the presence of Water in the beater until smooth but yet kept relatively long as to length of fibre, whereupon the shredded corium, and if desired, the caustic soda or other colloidizing assistant is added to the mix and the beaten stock run on a cylinder felting machine. The stock is then sheeted out and impregnated with a thermoplastic binder, as by dipping the sheet material into a fluid bath containing the binder.

I thus obtain a felt which is open and porous enough to hold the thermoplastic binder and yet has capacity for stretch suflicient to permit it to be molded over the last Without danger of rupture or tear. The residual agglutinant yielded up by the shredded corium in the action of the beater adheres to the long fibres of the fibrous base and assists them in their felting action, slowing down their water-absorbent tendency and so that the stock will felt satisfactorily on the cylinder felting machine.

While particularly useful as a box toe felt, my felt may, however, be used for the various other purposes to which the ordinary box toe felt is sometimes employed, as roofing or flooring felt.

Similarly, various modifications in fibre and fibre treatment may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A porous water-laid felt having a preponderating proportion of long fibers bonded together with a smaller proportion of the gelatinized corium portion of untanned animal skins.

2. A porous water-laid felt having a preponderating proportion of long fibers bonded together with a smaller proportion of the gelatinized corium portion of untanned rabbit skins.

3. A strong porous water-laid felt comprising substantially 75% of fibrous material containing a substantial proportion of long fibers,.and substantially 25% of the gelatinized corium portion of untanned animal skins bonding the fibers together.

4. A water-laid felt consisting of a beaten mixture of fibers and the shredded corium portions of untanned animal skins distrib- HENRY PHILIP SHOPNEGK. 

